Hope.

By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might; who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.

Psalm 65: 5-8, ESV

King David often referenced creation as comparative evidence of the majesty and greatness of God. As in the portion of Psalm 65 above God's "awesome deeds" are exemplified in his strength to establish mountains and still the roaring seas and waves. These reflections are always theocentric, fine-tuned to the character and nature of the God who spoke the wonders of creation into existence by his Word. There's a side-bar in most of the Psalms, however. David encouraged the readers of his songs to trust this God and discover hope in that relationship. Surely the God who created the mountains and the seas and commands their movement can care for his people and create in them the hope spoken into "ends of the earth and farthest seas".

The mountains and seas of Israel, and several adjoining lands, are most likely King David's reference points. There's little evidence that he would have known the great Pacific and Atlantic oceans or any body of water beyond the Red Sea, the Great Sea (Mediterranean), the Salt Sea (Red), or the Kinneret Sea (Galilee). Even though he mentioned "the farthest seas", his knowledge would have been local. Even more, what he knew about the sea was limited by what was observable or what had been passed to him through ancient oral tradition. There may have also been some fable in his portrayal of monsters and beasts in the deep.

And, that's the point. King David was a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22). He wasn't perfect by any means. Being allowed to see even small portions of God's creation was enough for him to trust God and know the living hope of that relationship.

Harriet and I are at the beach. I'm sitting on the deck of our first floor condo, hanging over the Atlantic. It's the change of scenery we both needed. The ocean screams his trustworthiness to us, and the hope of the nations. The hand that created this majestic body of water and reigns sovereign over her waves and currents is the faithful One I can trust in matters great and small. That trust calms the waters of my own soul and produces wave after wave of grace and hope. The confidence I always need involves moving my human doubts and fears and anxieties to the edges of life, and trusting him completely. He is my hope.

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Come, let us worship and bow down

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!

Psalms 95:1-6, ESV

The Psalms are poems and hymns of worship traditionally attributed to King David. Though they reflect the sharp twists and turns of his own personal life the Psalms are theocentric, totally focused on the majesty, glory, faithfulness, and trustworthiness of our Creator God. Creation is a recurring theme in the 150 Psalms. For several years I've been impressed with his many references to the sea. Evidently the sea was among the great creation mysteries to the King. He wrote about the sea, the deep, the waves, the sand, and ocean creatures often.

This week, while Harriet and I are enjoying a week in Garden City, South Carolina, we're standing in awe of the Atlantic Ocean and the wonders of this one element of God's marvelous created order. We're blessed by this change of scenery after the isolation of Covid-19. Sometimes we just need some vitamin sea. My devotional thoughts this week will include five of the sea references found in the Book of Psalms and what they instigated in King David's life and faith. My prayer is that in some way these reflections will be a spiritual additive to my life. You know, vitamin sea.

Thoughts about creation, specifically the mountains and seas, the depths of the earth, and the dry land In Psalm 95 instilled a sense of worship in King David. Before and after mentioning them he sings, makes a joyful noise, gives thanks, bows down, kneels, and worships the rock of our salvation. When he made note of them he declared that our God is a great God, a great King above all gods. When he considered creation his response was one of humility and worship.

How matter of fact I am about this wondrous universe that God spoke into existence. Every single day his majesty unfolds in even the smallest elements of this galactic array. And, usually, I just go about business as usual without acknowledging the miraculous work of his hands all around me.

This time by the sea is strategic for ministry right now. Serving a dynamic local congregation and several other personal commitments remind me that it cannot be accomplished without the guidance and strength provided by our Creator. I need my heartbeat to quicken at the beauty and wonder of the world he created. Here's my prayer that it is so.

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The stewardship of life.

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalm 8, ESV

Like many of his hymns, Psalms 8 is a recital of the works of God's fingers (v. 3) and hands (v.6). God's majesty and glory are set above the heavens. They are visible to mankind in his strength against Israel's foes and the wonders of creation, like the moon and the stars. This contemplation leads the King to a profound question. Under the vast display of God's universal design he asks: what is man that you are mindful of him? (v. 4). Overwhelmed with what God's fingers and hands had accomplished, David wanted to reflect on man's place in it all.

His answers are incredible. One, he confesses man's place in the entire sweep of creation. We humans are created "a little lower that the heavenly beings", and are "crowned with glory and honor" (v.5). Two, "You have given him dominion over the works of your hands" (v. 6). God has entrusted the stewardship of life to the human species. This world, and everything in it belongs to God (see Psalm 24). The Creator has graciously placed the care of his world in our hands.

King David's representative list of our stewardship responsibilities moves in a predictable way---the sheep and oxen, the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, the fish of the sea, and whatever passes along the paths of the sea. Two things are notable. One, he progresses from what is observable and familiar to what is not. Two, his list terminates with two mentions of the sea, like he was saving the best for last.

The blessing and hope I needed this morning was a fresh realization of my place in the created order and my human role as a steward of life. My care for the environment and the animal world doesn't derive out a belief that they're going to become extinct. Surely the God who created them can preserve and replicate them according to his divine plan until that day. My role as a steward of life is significant not because I love trees or glaciers or puppies or bears. The stewardship of life is significant because I love him. In his wisdom and grace he has given me charge over his work. I'm thinking this thought would have crossed David's mind when he thought of the sea.

Strong vitamin sea.

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